There’s a story in the Bible that always stands out for me when it comes to this topic. A group of young boys were mocking Elisha, and the man pronounced a curse over them in the name of the Lord. Two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them (2 Kings 2:23–24). Imagine that! It’s such a sobering story because it reminds us that words are not something we should take lightly. Because 42 people being killed because of a word spoken by a man of rank! Eh!
You know how some people mocked a granny at the market, and in the night she woke up and cursed them? They didn’t know she was a wincchhh. Now they are cooked because they lacked the intelligence to understand the power of words. You laugh at people anyhow ? Beyond such stories, one thing we must understand is that words carry weight, and God has not left us without a guide on how to use them. Certainly not!
Scripture has given us light on how we must use our words. If it wasn’t important, God wouldn’t have said so much about it in His Word. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue. James 3:5–10 also tells us how something as small as the tongue can cause so much destruction. So, clearly, this is something God wants us to pay attention to.
Nowadays, people say God only looks at the heart, and it’s all a lie when people use that statement to justify careless speech or other conducts of carnal nature. It’s so sad that many of us believe this so much that we are even living likewise. Yes, God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7), but Jesus also tells us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). So, you cannot tell me that God looks at your heart while you use your mouth anyhow. What comes out of your mouth matters too!
Let’s even begin with the words you say to yourself. You have no business calling yourself ugly, useless, stupid, or all sorts of demeaning names. You may think, “Ah, that’s extreme. Nobody does that.” But it’s actually a reality. People call themselves all sorts of things that are so far from what God has called them. You wake up every day and speak negatively about yourself, and somehow you don’t think it matters.
So, what kind of words have you been speaking to yourself? Are they words that build you up, or are you constantly tearing yourself down? Ephesians 4:29 tells us to speak words that build others up according to their needs. And surely, we must also learn to stop tearing ourselves down with the words we speak. What about the words you speak to your family, friends, colleagues, and the people around you? Are they words that build and not tear down, or you simply don’t care? Have you ever stopped to think about how someone will feel after hearing what you are about to say?
Have you thought about the aftermath of that conversation? Because there are people who no longer speak to each other, and it’s been years, all because someone said something. Words are powerful! They can heal or break. They can build or destroy. Proverbs 12:18 says reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. So, please, let’s not act like words are just words.
Some words spoken to you have probably brought so much heaviness and pain. Maybe it was a friend, an aunt (masters of unchecked words!), or a colleague. I know aunties, especially in African families, can sometimes talk anyhow. They don’t care; they just ask you when you are having kids, and meanwhile, you and your husband are believing God for a child. They ask you questions about things you are struggling with, things you are praying about, and things you haven’t even found the courage to talk about sometimes so rudely which the worst choice of words.
People who don’t know what you are going through, think they can just say whatever they want but not every question needs to be asked, stop asking people when they are getting married, or having kids, or questions you have no business asking , not everything that comes to your mind needs to come out of your mouth. Colossians 4:6 tells us that our speech should always be gracious. We need to learn how to speak to people!
There are people who haven’t been able to move past what you said to them. They may never tell you, but their hearts are bleeding. You may have forgotten the conversation, but they still remember exactly how you made them feel. Meanwhile, you have moved on with your life, not knowing that someone is still carrying the weight of your words. This is why we cannot afford to speak anyhow. You never really know what someone is going through or how deeply your words will affect them.
We need to learn to speak as the Church of God, from the pulpit to the congregation. The person on the pulpit needs to learn the right words and language, and the same goes for the believer sitting down in the congregation. This is a requirement for all believers, not just pastors or people who preach. You can’t just get onto the pulpit and cuss, insult people, or speak carelessly and then claim to be representing God.
What’s the point of coming to church, hearing the Word, and still refusing to let it change the way you speak? James 1:22 tells us to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. We cannot claim to be growing in God while refusing to pay attention to something He has clearly addressed in Scripture. Beloved, we need to be intentional about our words. Think before you speak. Ask yourself whether what you are about to say will build someone up or tear them down.
Learn to correct people without humiliating them, speak the truth without being unnecessarily cruel, and show love even when you have to address something difficult. Not everything you think needs to be said, and not everything you can say should be said. May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in the sight of God (Psalm 19:14). Let us learn to speak in a way that honours Him, because our words matter, and how we use them matters too.
If you read my blogs but have never met this Wonderful Jesus that I’m always writing about, you’d love to get to know Him, Or you know The Lord but have found yourself drifting far from Him, I would love to talk with you. Please send me an email on yieldedcwcenter@gmail.com or simply comment, and I will reach out to you
